Supporting frame for twin golf bags



June 17, 1947. A. P. ROBINSON 2,422,315

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR TWIN GOLF BAGS Filed Oct. 9, 1944 Patented June 17,1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING FRAME FOR TWIN GOLF BAGSAlbert P. Robins-on, Seattle, Wash.

Application October 9, 1944, Serial No. 557,845

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to golf bags, and for its principal object aimsto provide a bag structure functioning to positively segregate a playersiron clubs from the woods.

It becomes a further and a more particular object to devise a bagstructure having this characterization feature and which, in addition,will act automatically to cause the irons to occupy an angular positionin relation to the woods when the bag is set upon the ground preparatoryto the selection of a proper club from one or the other said set.

The invention has th still further and particular object of providing abag structure arranged and adapted when rested upon the ground topresent an extended base and one, more especially, which will functionin the nature of a tripod stand and give a firm footing sustaining thebag in an upright position to place the clubs therein contained in amost accessible location and, perforce, render it unnecessary to stoopwhen thereafter lifting the bag for further carrymg.

As a further and particular object still, the invention aims to providea bag structure having its parts so constructed and arranged as todevelop a cushioning action noticeably easing the load of the clubs whencarrying the same, effectively eliminating the jarring .efiect which, bythe design of previous bags, is transmitted by the carrying strap to theshoulder of the player as the bag is carried along the fairways,

These foregoing, and still other and ancillary advantages, will appearand be understood in the course of the following description havingexpress reference to the drawing wherein I illustrate my now preferredembodiment. The invention consists in the novel construction and in theadaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view portraying a bag structure embodyingthe teachings .of the present invention and shown as the same wouldappear upon being set down preparatory to spreading the tripod stand toplace the clubs in an .upright position with the irons and the woodsassuming an angular relationship, one as respects the other said set.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, made fragmentary to the extent thatapart of the carrying strap is deleted, and with the clubs removed.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation showing the bag structure as the samewould appear upori spreading the tripod-forming legs to the operatingself-sustaining position, the scale being reduced from that of Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sec: tion taken to anenlarged scale on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, expressly to detail the catch bywhich movably associated parts are releasably locked in a normalinoperative position, normalcy as here employed being used in the senseof placing the bag structure in a condition suitable for carrying orstoring; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View similar to the showing ofFig. 1 excepting that I have here portrayed a, modified manner ofapplying the carrying strap.

To here enlarge on that which has been previously set forth, theinvention is principally concerned with providing a structuralarrangemerit which, when set down upon the fairway, will be of aself-sustaining nature supporting the clubs in an upright position andin which the irons and the woods will not only be segregated but will besegregated in particular manner, namely such as will cause the woods andthe irons to lie in positions angular to one another.shaftsconsideredplacing the heads of the irons at one side and the heads ofthe woods at the other side of a perpendicular plane raised from a lineprojected horizontally through both sets of clubs. The advantage of thisarrangement lies in the fact that the heads of each of the irons and,hence, the numbered soles thereof are fully exposedto the view of theplayer and, given the need for a certain said iron, the same can bequickly selected without, as has been heretofore frequently necessary,first shifting the heads of one or more of the longer-handled. woods outof a concealing position. Furthermore, the overhanging head of a woodmay and frequently does interfere with a ready withdrawal. Given theangular relationship as between the shafts, this difiiculty is overcome.There is also the self.- evident advantage of precluding a scraping ofthe iron heads against the shafts of the woods in course of withdrawingan iron from, or inserting the same in, the bag.

Now describing my illustrated embodiment, there are employed twin .bagswhich may beof the same or different sizes and these bags, de noted bythe numerals 6 and l, are or may be' produced in the usual manner andwhich isto say from a, sleeve of canvas, leather .or the like suitablystiffened, if .desired,;by vertical slats and with a reinforcing closuremember at the (bottom and-- a reinforcing collar at the top. The bagsare desirably flared, with the greater width at the 3 bottom, and arepreferably given a rectangular form, sectionally considered.

The arrangement as between the bags is one in which the same aredisposed tandem, fore-andaft as distinguished from a side-by-sideassembly, and the placing of the bags is such as will compound the twofiares. There is employed a supporting frame, produced to a generalUshape from any suitable material combining springiness with strength-afairly flexible strap iron by preference-to present upstanding legs IIand '12 adapted to lie on the major axis of the assembly one to thefront and the other to the rear of the paired bags. The cross-armU-frame underlies the bottoms of the two bags and, at its points ofjuncture with said cross-arm,

I3 of this.

the framing member is given a return bend defining pendent feet I4- andI5.

At the open end of the U, a pin, as 8, is passed from one to the othersaid leg through the reinforcing collars of the bags, and in addition tothis said top attachment one of the two bags-say the bag 6is also fixedby its bottom to the frame and thus becomes firmly anchored thereto,leaving the other bag 1 free to swing about the pivot pin 8 as an axis.Ii) denotes a separating washer carried by the pin to lie in interveningrelation between the two bags.

Fixedly carried from the bottom of the said swinging bag is a pendentfitting 16 arranged and adapted to complement the elements l4 and I5 andfunction as the third foot of a tripod and which, when placed in theinoperative folded position, underlies the cross-arm [3 intermediate therelatively stationary feet. There is attached by a spring arm Hi to thisfitting it (see Fig. 4) a latching finger ll made active, upon saidfolding of the three-legged stand, to catch the crossarm and by suchengagement releasably hold the two bags against relative disarrangement.The finger is projected beyond the catch a sufficient distance to admitof being readily engaged by the foot of the player for depressing thesame out of latching position.

In forming my U-frame I give the front leg I l a height somewhatexceeding that of the back leg and such, more especially, as willprolong the same upwardly beyond its point of attachment with the bags,and this prolongation, designated 20, presents a forward ofiset, as 2|,located proximate to the root or anchoring end thereof and terminates atits free end in an eye 22. Connecting with this eye is a ring, and madefast to the ring is one end of a carrying strap 23 providing,- at itsopposite end, the usual buckle 24. To connect, as by a' ring 25, withthe buckle, an eye-fitting 26 is riveted or otherwise fixedly secured tothe leg H to lie at or somewhat below the mid-height of the bagassembly. There is formed by, or provided on, the said leg l l a handle21 placed in correspondence with the weight center of the loaded'bagstructure.

The iron and the wood clubs are denoted by 30 and 3|, respectively, andan inspection of the several views of the drawing will give a clearunderstanding of the manner of employing the two bags to effectivelysegregate one from the other said set of clubs and, by swinging one bagoutwardly in relation to the other, cause one said set to lie incross-angular relation to the other.

The load-cushioning significance of the spring frame, in its provisionof flexible connections from each end of the carrying strap to the bagsproper will, it is believed, be likewise clearly understood. A certainmeasure of spring action could perforce be attained were the resilientconnection confined to a single end of the strap, and by which I meanresorting only to a resilient prolongation, as 20, while attaching thelower end of the strap directly to a bag or, conversely, looking only tothe resiliency of a fiexible leg to overcome the jarring effect whichmakes the carrying of the ordinary bag unnecessarily tiring.

As a modified method of attaching the straps lower end, there isportrayed in Fig. 5 an arrangement having recourse to a thong 28 loopedabout both bags and attached at the rear by a keeper 29 fixed to theback leg [2, the two cheekstrands passing through fair-leader guides 32made fast to the sides of the back bag and extending therefrom as abridle to the carrying strap proper. In this embodiment it becomesdesirable to give the bags a reverse mounting, by which I mean that theback bag becomes the anchored bag 6 and the forward bag the swinging bagI. The length of the bridle should be such as will compensate for therelative swinging of the two bags, and it will be apparent that thebridle will function much in the manner of a draw-string toautomatically close the structure by the normal act of a player graspingthe strap and lifting the same preparatory to placing on the shoulder. 1

To bring out the import of placing the frame on the fore-and-aft majoraxis of the assembly, the appearance of the whole is made veryattractive, the bags are caused to snug up nicely againsta players sidewhen carrying, and the frame itself is held clear of any contact withthe hip or legs in walking. It is here. particularly brought out thatthe offset 2| accommodates the player's forearm while carrying theassembly, enabling the forearm to be comfortably crooked under theprolongation 20.

It will be understood that the various features of the invention admitof being practically employed individually or conjointly. Numerousdepartures from the illustrated and described embodiment will suggestthemselves having knowledge of my teachings, and it is self-evident thatrecourse may be freely had to these departures without sacrifice of theinventive concept. It is my intention that all forms of construction andvariations in detail coming within the scope of the hereto annexedclaims are to be considered as comprehended by the invention.

What I claim is: V

l. A golf-bag structure comprising, in combination: a U-frame presentingupstanding legs arranged to occupy fore-and-aft positions and with theconnecting cross-arm of'the U lying at the bottom; and twin bagsreceived in tandem between said legs, one of said bags being an-' choredto the frame and the other pivotally hung and twin bags received intandem between'said legs, one of said bags being anchored to the frameand the other pivotally hung therefrom for outward swinging movementfrom and into a normal inline position with the anchored bag, meansbeing provided by the frame and by the swinging bag producing the"bearing components I of a foldable tripod.

3. As a golf-bag structure, in combination: twin bags one acting toreceive wood clubs and the other irons; and a frame therefor supportingsaid bags in tandem and giving a fixed mounting for the one whilepivotally sustaining the other for transverse swinging movement from andinto in-line relation with the fixed bag, means being provided by thestructure arranged and adapted. to constitute a foldable tripodoperative, when opened, to give support to the structure holding thesame upright and placing the bags in angular relation, one with respectto the other.

4. As a golf-bag structure, in combination: a pair of bags one acting toreceive wood clubs and the other irons; and means producing. a frametherefor, supporting the bags for relative swinging movement, andforming the components of a foldable multi-legged stand operative, whenopened, to give support to the structure holding the same in an uprightposition with the two bags placed one in angular relation to the other.

ALBERT P. ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,483,475 Osterhoudt Feb. 12,1924 2,364,223 Keim Dec. 5, 1944 1,896,362 Bellow Dec. 6, 1932 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 7,613 Great Britain 1892 486,831 GreatBritain June 10, 1938 155,266 Great Britain Mar. 31, 1921

